[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Fort Lee 6-9-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-20. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Ambulance Corps — See Ch.
6.
Police Department — See Ch.
90.
Director of Public Safety — See Ch.
99.
Alarm systems — See Ch.
126.
Ambulance services — See Ch.
132.
Emergency housing — See Ch.
208.
Fire prevention — See Ch.
216.
Hazardous materials — See Ch.
241.
Fire insurance proceeds — See Ch.
254.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors — See Ch.
349.
A. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
AUXILIARY MEMBER
An individual who has satisfied the qualifications for service in the Borough of Fort Lee Fire Department Auxiliary as provided in §
55-20, herein.
CHIEFS
Refers to the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief and Battalion Fire
Chief, collectively.
COMPANY OFFICERS
Refers to the Captain, First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant
of Fort Lee Fire Company Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4, collectively.
JUNIOR FIREFIGHTERS AUXILIARY MEMBER
An individual who is between the ages of 16 and 18 who is eligible for service in the Borough of Fort Lee Fire Department Junior Firefighter's Auxiliary as provided in §
55-23, herein.
REGULAR MEMBER
An individual who has satisfied the qualifications of eligibility for service in the Borough of Fort Lee Fire Department as provided in §
55-6 and who has been nominated and confirmed by the Borough Mayor and Council as provided in §
55-7, herein.
B. For the purposes of this chapter, the terms "member" or "members,"
without further qualification, shall apply collectively to the three
aforementioned designations of individuals.
A. The Fire Department of the Borough of Fort Lee shall consist of Fort
Lee Fire Company Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4; the company officers and members
thereof; a Fire Chief, a Deputy Chief, a Battalion Chief, the Fire
Prevention Bureau and employees thereof; the Fire Records Clerk, and
such other additional persons as may be required and approved by the
Mayor and Council. The Fire Department shall be regularly organized
in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
B. The Fire Department shall have an Executive Board constituted to
deal with certain enumerated matters pursuant to this chapter and
the Fire Department bylaws, rules and regulations, which shall have
been approved by the Mayor and Council by resolution. The Executive
Board shall be comprised of seven Board members: the Fire Chief, Deputy
Chief, Battalion Chief, and the Captains of each company.
A. No fire company shall be formed in the Borough without the consent
of the Borough Council and other than in accordance with the provisions
of this chapter.
B. Not fewer than 15 persons who are duly qualified to become members of a fire company as provided in §
55-6 may apply to the Borough Council for permission to organize a fire company, and the Borough Council, after considering the matter, may, in its discretion, grant or refuse such application. If granted, the applicants may organize and form a fire company as requested, subject to the conditions and requirements of this chapter and after selecting such name as may be desired. The applicant company shall report its desired name and the names of its proposed members to the Borough Council. Upon approval and confirmation by the Council, the persons shall be constituted and known as a "fire company" and as members of the Fort Lee Fire Department.
Each fire company shall consist of not fewer than 15 and not
more than 40 regular members, not more than 15 auxiliary members,
and such number of junior firefighters auxiliary members as determined
at the discretion of the Fire Chief. Each fire company shall have
a Captain, First Lieutenant and Second Lieutenant who shall be the
company officers. The company officers shall be voted into office
each year by the regular members of their respective companies, pursuant
to this chapter and the Fire Department and fire company rules and
bylaws.
A. The Fort Lee Fire Department, as the whole of the individual fire
companies, shall enact and adopt rules, regulations, operating procedures,
and guidelines for its own governance not inconsistent with the laws
of the State of New Jersey or the ordinances of the Borough.
B. Each fire company may enact rules for its own governance and adopt
bylaws not inconsistent with the laws of the State of New Jersey,
ordinances of the Borough and Fort Lee Fire Department rules, regulations,
operating procedures and guidelines.
A. All applicants for regular membership in the Fort Lee Fire Department
shall be and shall continue to be citizens or permanent residents
of the United States, shall reside within a municipality included
in the East Bergen Firefighters Mutual Aid Association, be of good
moral character, sound mind, body, and judgment, have a high school
diploma or an equivalency certificate, be able to read, write and
speak the English language fluently, and be at least 18 years of age
at the time of admission to the Fort Lee Fire Department. All applicants
shall have served as an auxiliary member or junior auxiliary member
prior to becoming a regular member of the Fort Lee Fire Department.
No applicant shall have been convicted of any crime involving dishonesty,
moral turpitude, or other crime which would disqualify the applicant
for public office, position or employment under N.J.S.A. 2C:51-2.
B. All applicants for regular membership shall be examined by a duly
licensed physician in the State of New Jersey who shall certify, in
an executed and dated writing, as to the applicant's good health.
Said examination shall include satisfactory results of a chest x-ray.
C. Applications for regular membership in the Fort Lee Fire Department
shall conform to all applicable federal and state laws, local ordinances
and the rules and regulations of the Borough of Fort Lee Fire Department.
A. Any person duly qualified as provided in §
55-6 may be nominated for regular membership in an organized fire company and in the Fire Department at a regular meeting of a fire company.
B. The name of any nominee shall be referred to an investigating committee
which shall report thereon at the next or some subsequent meeting
of the fire company.
C. After report by the investigating committee, the fire company shall
consider and vote upon the nominee at a regular meeting thereof. If
a majority of the regular members of the fire company present at the
meeting vote in favor of the nominee, the vote shall be reported to
the Borough Council.
D. If, after the report of a favorable vote, the Borough Council confirms
the nominee, the nominee shall thereupon become a regular member of
the fire company and of the Fire Department. No person may be a regular
member of the Fort Lee Fire Department without simultaneously being
a regular member of a fire company.
A. The Fire Chief, Deputy Chief and Battalion Chief shall be elected
annually by the regular members of the Fire Department on the second
Tuesday in September between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
at such place as shall be designated by the Fire Chief in office.
The Chiefs shall hold office from January 1 through December 31 of
the following year.
B. Each fire company shall submit in writing to the Fire Chief the name
of a regular member as nominee for each of the offices of Fire Chief,
Deputy Chief, and Battalion Chief. The Fire Chief shall thereafter
prepare a ballot with the names of the nominees submitted for each
office and designate a place for written votes to be cast for each
office.
C. Write-in votes for the offices of Fire Chief, Deputy Chief and Battalion
Chief shall be permitted subject to the limitation that the nominee
who is written-in must be from the same company as member casting
the write-in vote.
D. Each fire company shall select two of its regular members to serve
as tellers. The tellers shall select a clerk from among themselves
to conduct the election of the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief and Battalion
Chief. The nominee receiving the greatest number of votes for each
of these offices shall be declared elected.
E. The incumbent Fire Chief shall send to the Borough Council the names
of the regular members elected to the offices of Fire Chief, Deputy
Chief and Battalion Chief. Upon confirmation by the Borough Council,
these persons shall hold office as stated hereinabove.
F. If the Borough Council does not confirm the results of the election,
or in case of a vacancy in office, the Borough Council shall either
appoint interim Chiefs from among the regular members, or approve
the holdover of the incumbent Chiefs. The Borough Council shall at
any time order a special election which shall be conducted in the
manner prescribed in this chapter.
G. The Fire Chief, Deputy Chief and Battalion Chief shall be ex officio
members of all fire companies, but each Chief shall not be entitled
to vote except as a regular member of the Fire Company to which the
Chief belongs.
The Fire Chief or, in his absence, the Deputy Chief, or, in
his absence, the Battalion Chief, shall:
A. Have sole and absolute command of Fire Department operations at the
scene of all fires and/or emergencies to which the Fire Department
is called, to the extent provided by law.
B. Arrange and place fire companies, fire engines and other fire apparatus
at a fire and cause them to be used in such manner as will most quickly
and effectively extinguish the fire.
C. Examine at least twice each year the condition of all fire engines,
apparatus, engine houses and other property belonging to the Fire
Department.
D. Report the condition of all property and any repairs or expenditures
required in connection therewith to the Borough Council.
The Borough Council, may, in its discretion, suspend or disband
any fire company from service, but no such suspension or disbandment
shall be made except upon notice to the fire company and an opportunity
to be first heard before the Borough Council at a public meeting.
A. The Borough Council may suspend or expel the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Battalion Chief, any company officer or any member of the Fire Department for failure to serve for six successive months. Said Chiefs, officers and members may also be suspended or expelled for unbecoming or neglectful conduct or behavior in violation of any duty incumbent upon any such person, or upon the grounds stated in §
55-11C. No suspension or removal shall be made final except upon notice to the person and an opportunity to be first heard before the Borough Council at a public meeting.
B. The Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Battalion Chief, any company officer or member may submit charges against any Chief, company officer, or member of the Fire Department for any of the actions set forth in Subsection
C. Such charges shall be brought before the Fire Department Executive Board. If the charges are made against a member of the Board or if any Board member is unavailable for the hearing of the charges, the Fire Chief, or in his absence, the Deputy Chief, or in his absence, the Battalion Chief, shall appoint an alternate to sit on the Board. The Board may suspend any Chief, company officer or member for a period of up to one year or expel such Chief, company officer or member from the Fort Lee Fire Department. Such Chief, company officer or member shall have the right to request the Borough Council review the decision of the Executive Board. The Borough Council may affirm, reverse or modify the decision of the Executive Board.
C. Any company officer or member of the Department who shall refuse
or voluntarily neglect to obey or execute any order from an officer
in charge of an alarm or drill, or who shall violate, willfully neglect,
or refuse to be governed by any of the provisions of this chapter
or the rules and regulations of the Fort Lee Fire Department shall
be subject to suspension, removal or expulsion from the Fire Department
by the Executive Board, after a hearing provided by the Executive
Board. Any one of the following, in addition to any other violation
of this chapter or any rules, regulations or orders promulgated hereunder,
shall be cause for suspension, removal or expulsion from the Fire
Department, although suspensions, removals or expulsions may be made
for sufficient causes other than those listed:
(2) Incompetence or inefficiency.
(3) Incapacity due to mental or physical disability.
(4) Insubordination or serious breach of discipline.
(5) Intoxication or being under the influence of a controlled substance
while at a fire call.
(6) Chronic or excessive absenteeism.
(7) Disorderly or immoral conduct.
(8) Willful violation of any of the Fire Department rules and regulations.
(9) Commission of any criminal act or offense involving dishonesty, moral
turpitude, or other crime which would disqualify the applicant for
public office, position or employment under N.J.S.A. 2C:51-2.
(10)
Negligence of or willful damage to public property or waste
of public supplies or Fire Department property or Fire Department
supplies.
(11)
Conduct unbecoming a member of the Fort Lee Fire Department.
(12)
Use or attempted use of the member's authority or official position
to control or modify the political action of any person in the Fire
Department, or engaging in any form of political activity while performing
Fire Department duties, except that "political activity" shall not
include actively supporting a candidate for an elected position in
the Fort Lee Fire Department or the candidate's opponent.
D. A Chief or company officer may suspend, on an emergent basis and
for good cause, any officer of junior rank or member of the Fire Department
for any of the above actions pending the formal filing of charges
and disposition of the matter by the Executive Board. Formal charges
must be filed against the suspended member within three calendar days
of the suspension.
E. The Fire Department Executive Board shall adhere to the following procedures and afford the following rights to an accused Fire Department auxiliary member or Fire Department junior auxiliary member, as the terms are defined in §§
55-19 and
55-21:
(1) Auxiliary member and junior auxiliary member disciplinary issues
will be addressed in the first instance by company officers.
(2) The accused auxiliary or junior auxiliary member shall have the right
to know the charges against him/her. The charges shall be transmitted
to the accused in writing.
(3) The company officers shall designate a reasonable time in which the
auxiliary member or junior auxiliary member may be heard. Notice of
this hearing shall be transmitted to the accused in writing.
(4) Pending the final disposition of the matter by the company, the auxiliary
member or junior auxiliary member shall have the right of appeal to
the Executive Board.
F. The Fire Department Executive Board shall adhere to the following
procedures and afford the following rights to an accused Fire Department
Chief, company officer or regular member:
(1) The charges shall be transmitted in writing to the Chief, company
officer or regular member and shall designate a reasonable time therein
in which the Chief, company officer or regular member may respond
to admit or deny same, in writing.
(2) A hearing date shall be established for a hearing on the matter before
the Fire Department Executive Board which shall be reasonably set
to afford all parties concerned a fair and impartial presentation
of the matter.
(3) The allegations against the Chief, company officer or regular member
shall be presented by the accusing party or by a representative provided
by the Borough.
(4) The matter shall be heard and decided by the Executive Board.
(5) The accused Chief, company officer or regular member shall have the
right to be represented by counsel or to appear in his or her own
defense. The accused shall have the right to obtain copies of the
investigation of the matter of which he or she is charged, and shall
have the right to obtain copies of all statements and the names and
addresses of witnesses who may testify against him or her. Other limited
and reasonable discovery may be allowed, as fairness and necessity
dictate. The accused shall have the right to cross-examine all witnesses,
shall have the right to present oral and/or documentary evidence in
his or her own defense and shall be afforded all other rights consistent
with due process of law.
(6) The hearing may or may not be transcribed at the discretion of the
Executive Board, but the accused Chief, company officer or regular
member may transcribe the hearing at his or her own expense. In the
event that a party decides to have a transcript of the proceedings
produced, the party shall supply the other party with a copy thereof
within a reasonable time.
(7) In the event that the hearing extends beyond one meeting, and a member
of the Board is absent for a subsequent related hearing, that member
of the Board may continue to sit as a member of the Board on the hearing
only if the Board member reads the transcript of any of the hearings
during which the Board member was absent, and so certifies in an executed
and dated writing.
(8) The charge shall be sustained only upon the affirmative vote of the
full majority of the Board. In the event that the charge is sustained
by the Board, a separate vote on punishment shall be made and shall
be the judgment of the Board only upon the affirmative vote of the
full majority of same. The accused Chief, company officer or regular
member may present any relevant evidence or information to the Board
in mitigation of punishment.
G. In hearings conducted hereunder by the Fire Department Executive
Board, the decision shall be announced in writing upon the conclusion
of the hearing or as soon as possible after the conclusion of the
hearing.
H. A regular member who receives a firematic suspension from his or
her fire company for violation of any of the fire company bylaws may
request a review of such suspension from the Fire Department Executive
Board in accordance with the procedures outlined above.
Any member suspended from the Fire Department shall, during
such suspension, forfeit all rights and privileges associated with
membership in the Fire Department, except insurance coverage where
applicable.
The Fire Records Clerk shall keep a book of record of the Fire
Department in which shall be entered the names of the Chiefs, fire
companies, company officers and members thereof, and the ages, dates
of confirmation, official commendations, resignations, suspensions
and expulsions of such members.
A. Each fire company, on the sound of a fire alarm, shall proceed with
due diligence to the fire or place where the fire alarm originated
unless otherwise directed by the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief or Battalion
Chief.
B. No fire company shall remove its apparatus from any fire except upon
permission of the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, Battalion Chief or other
officers or acting officers, if any, in charge at such fire. Upon
permission being granted, the fire company shall forthwith return
its apparatus to its place of deposit in such manner as to abstain
from any conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, discredit
or reflect poorly upon the Fire Department. All such fire apparatus,
upon being returned to its place of deposit, shall be cleaned and
made ready for immediate use.
A. The Borough shall provide a policy of life insurance in the amount
of $25,000 for every active regular member, auxiliary member and junior
auxiliary member of the Fire Department under the age of 65. Such
policy of life insurance shall be reduced to $16,500 for an active
member of the Fire Department upon reaching 65 years of age.
B. The Borough shall provide a policy of life insurance in the amount
of $25,000 for every firefighter who has completed 25 years or more
of active service as a regular member or auxiliary member of the Fire
Department and thereafter requests to go on the inactive rolls. Coverage
in this amount shall continue until 70 years of age. Thereafter, the
Borough shall provide a policy of life insurance in the amount of
$7,500 for such person.
C. The Borough shall provide a policy of life insurance in the amount
of $25,000 for every regular member, auxiliary member and junior auxiliary
member of the Fire Department who, as a result of injuries sustained
in the course of service at a fire or other Borough service-related
emergency, is unable to perform the duties of firefighter and is placed
upon the inactive rolls; provided, however, that said disability is
accepted by an executed and dated writing provided by a treating physician,
and approved, in a second opinion evidenced by an executed and dated
writing provided by a Borough Health Department physician.
D. The Fire Records Clerk shall keep a roll of such inactive regular
members, auxiliary members and junior auxiliary members and their
ages. The Clerk shall supply a certified copy of this record to the
Insurance Committee each year.
A. Preamble. The Borough has a Volunteer Fire Department and previously,
by Ordinance No. 1341, sought to assure that regular members of the
Fire Department who were not eligible for benefits provided by the
New Jersey State Firemen's Association were otherwise afforded coverage.
Ordinance No. 1341 provided benefits for only certain classes of the
members of the Fire Department regular members and may have excluded
certain regular members from such benefits.
B. Eligibility. "Active member" of the Fire Department, for the purposes
herein and for these purposes only, shall mean, with the exception
of the seven years of service and entry age limitations set forth
in N.J.S.A. 40A:14-55 et seq., any person who would otherwise meet
the eligibility requirements for an exempt firemen's certificate.
C. Qualifications. In the event of the death of any active or formerly
active regular member with at least seven years of qualified service
who is not entitled to the death benefit of the New Jersey State Firemen's
Association, that active or formerly active regular member shall be
entitled to receive from the Borough an amount equal to the death
benefit of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association.
D. Accrual. Benefits set forth herein shall accrue to those formerly
active regular members with at least seven years of qualified service,
and all active regular members of the Fire Department as of May 5,
1971, the original effective date of Ordinance No. 1341, and those
persons who may become active regular members of the Fire Department
subsequent to the effective date of this chapter who are not, or will
not be, entitled to the death benefit of the New Jersey State Firemen's
Association.
A. Preamble. The Mayor and Council of the Borough wish to provide qualified
retired firefighters with a retirement bonus.
B. Qualifications for eligibility:
(1) Must be a regular member in good standing with the Fort Lee Fire
Department.
(2) Retirement after a minimum of 25 years of Fort Lee Fire Department
active service.
(3) State certification as an exempt fireman that may be waived by majority
vote of Borough Council.
C. Rate of retirement bonus. A yearly bonus rate of $1,000 per year
shall be paid to qualifying retirees, to be fixed at the date of retirement.
Each individual's yearly bonus, once fixed as of the date of retirement,
shall not be thereafter increased, irrespective of any subsequent
increase thereafter authorized by any subsequent ordinance. This bonus
shall not be considered as a pension or retirement payment, and shall
have no effect whatsoever on any other benefits, and, in the event
that the firefighter is a Borough employee, the bonus paid herein
shall have no effect on such employment or retirement benefits otherwise
payable to employee.
D. Time of payout shall be at the same time the normal clothing allowance
is paid to active Fire Department regular members.
E. Timing of claim for bonus by retirees. Each qualified retiree shall
make a claim in writing to the Borough Administrator by submitting
a claim voucher at least 30 days prior to the time of bonus for clothing
allowance and no later than 30 days after the time of bonus for clothing
allowance. No bonus shall be granted to any retiree unless a voucher
claim in the amount allocated is received by the Borough Administrator,
signed by the retiree, stating present address. Upon the death of
the retiree, during the period of January 1 to December 31 of a given
year, any bonus due a retiree shall be paid to his or her estate.
Thereafter, all payments shall cease.
F. Availability of funds. Funding for this section shall be incorporated
into the Fort Lee Fire Department allocation in the yearly municipal
budget.
G. Effective date. This section shall take effect on March 22, 2001.
There is hereby created and established in and for the Borough
of Fort Lee a Fire Department Auxiliary, subject to the conditions
of this chapter. This organization shall be known as the "Fort Lee
Fire Department Auxiliary." Individuals who are part of this organization
shall be known as "auxiliary members."
The Fort Lee Fire Department Auxiliary shall consist of no more
than 60 auxiliary members, and no more than 15 auxiliary members per
fire company.
A. The qualifications for membership in the Fort Lee Fire Department
Auxiliary shall be as follows:
(1) All applicants for membership in the Fire Department Auxiliary shall
be and shall continue to be citizens or permanent residents of the
United States and shall either reside in a municipality included in
the East Bergen Firefighters Mutual Aid Association or work within
the Borough of Fort Lee. All applicants shall be of good moral character,
sound mind, body, and judgment, have a high school diploma or an equivalency
certificate, be able to read, write and speak the English language
well and fluently, and be at least 18 years of age at the time of
admission to the Fire Department Auxiliary. No applicant shall have
been convicted of any crime involving dishonesty, moral turpitude,
or other crime which would disqualify the applicant for public office,
position or employment under N.J.S.A. 2C:51-2.
(2) Each applicant shall be examined by a duly licensed physician in
the State of New Jersey who shall certify, in an executed and dated
writing, as to the applicant's good health. Said examination shall
include satisfactory results of a chest x-ray.
(3) Applications for auxiliary membership in the Fort Lee Fire Department
shall conform to all applicable federal and state laws, local ordinances
and the rules and regulations of the Fort Lee Fire Department.
B. An applicant must serve in the Fire Department Auxiliary for at least
one year prior to submitting a formal application for regular membership
in the Fort Lee Fire Department.
C. Insurance coverage. Members of the Fire Department Auxiliary shall be insured for the same coverage and in the same amounts as regular members of the Fort Lee Fire Department, including life insurance as provided in §
55-15.
D. The training of the members of the Fire Department Auxiliary shall
be the responsibility of the Fire Department. The Fire Department
shall provide auxiliary members an educational program in firematics,
designed to train the auxiliary members for subsequent regular membership
in the Fort Lee Fire Department.
E. Fire Department auxiliary members may assist at any Fire Department
function, provided that a regular member of the Fire Department shall
accompany the auxiliary member at all times. No auxiliary member shall
directly approach a fire or enter a burning building without the accompaniment
of a regular member of the Fire Department. While attending a fire,
the auxiliary member shall be fully outfitted in regulation clothing
and equipped with regulation gear provided by the Fire Department.
F. The Fire Department auxiliary member shall be under the command of the Chiefs of the Fire Department and the officers of the company to which the auxiliary member is assigned at all times. The auxiliary member shall abide by Fire Department and company rules and regulations pursuant to §
55-5 of this chapter at all times. The Chiefs of the Fire Department and officers of the company to which auxiliary members are assigned may dismiss any auxiliary member who fails to obey their commands or Fire Department rules and regulations.
G. An auxiliary member who is suspended or expelled from the Fire Department Auxiliary shall be entitled to the provisions of §
55-11 as applicable.
There is hereby created and established in the Borough of Fort
Lee a Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary, in accordance with the provisions
of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-95, subject to the conditions of this chapter.
This organization shall be known as the "Fort Lee Junior Firefighters'
Auxiliary." Individuals who are part of this organization shall be
known as "Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary members."
The Mayor and Council of the Borough of Fort Lee, upon the recommendation
of the Fire Department Chief, has formulated rules and regulations
which govern the activities of the Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary,
and regulations regarding training of Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary
members for eventual regular membership in the Fire Department of
Fort Lee.
A. In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-95, no person
shall be eligible for membership in the Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary
who is less than 16 or more than 18 years of age. Persons between
the ages of 16 and 18 shall obtain permission to join the Junior Firefighters'
Auxiliary from their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), which permission
shall be in writing and acknowledged or provided in the manner required
by law for deeds to real estate to be recorded.
B. All applicants for membership in the Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary
shall be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and
shall reside within the Borough of Fort Lee, be of good moral character,
sound mind, body, and judgment, write and speak the English language
fluently, and not have been convicted of any crime involving dishonesty
or moral turpitude.
C. All applicants for membership shall be examined by a duly licensed
physician in the State of New Jersey who shall certify, in an executed
and dated writing, as to the applicant's good health. Said examination
shall include satisfactory results of a chest x-ray.
The Fire Chief of the Borough of Fort Lee shall have the authority
and discretion to review all applications for admission into the Junior
Firefighters' Auxiliary upon such rules and regulations as may be
established by the Mayor and Council in conjunction with the Fire
Department.
No Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary member shall be required to
perform duties which would expose him or her to the same type or degree
of hazards as a regular member of the Fire Department.
Members of the Junior Firefighters' Auxiliary shall be insured for the same coverage and in the same amounts as regular members of the Fort Lee Fire Department, including life insurance as provided in §
55-15.
A. The reimbursement program is predicated upon the replacement, repair
and/or cleaning of regular members' personnel garments and accessories,
provided that these items are worn during Fire Department activity.
B. In order to encourage continued education and training, each regular
member shall be eligible for reimbursement so long as the annual mandated
classes have been completed during the first quarter of the year.
C. In order to receive reimbursement for personnel garments or accessories,
any regular member not having 25 years of service at the time of reimbursement
shall have a minimum response percentage of 20% in accordance with
the stipend program for the period of January 1 through September
30.
A. A stipend program shall be established to encourage the active recruitment,
retention and participation of regular members of the Fort Lee Fire
Department.
B. The terms, conditions and governing rules applicable to the stipend
program shall be established by a resolution adopted by the Mayor
and Council of the Borough of Fort Lee and may be amended, in their
sole discretion, by subsequent resolutions of the Mayor and Council.
A. "Fire Warden duty" is defined as an on-duty temporary measure ordered
by the Fire Chief, or in his absence, the Deputy Chief, or in his
absence, the Battalion Chief, or in their absence, their designee
or the senior officer present, intended to ensure the readiness and
response of Fort Lee Fire Department firefighters, engines, engine
houses, and apparatuses to protect life and property under special
circumstances. Such special circumstances include, but are not limited
to, severe weather events, heavy traffic, festivals, special details,
events relating to fire safety and prevention, and those other circumstances
deemed appropriate for Fire Warden duty by the Fire Chief.
B. Individuals who qualify to serve as Fire Wardens shall be active
regular members of the Fire Department or auxiliary members of the
Fire Department Auxiliary. Any qualified individuals serving as Fire
Wardens shall report directly to the Fire Chief, or in his absence,
the Deputy Chief, or in his absence, the Battalion Chief, or in their
absence, their designee or the senior officer present. Persons serving
as Fire Wardens shall be subject to all Borough ordinances, rules
and regulations.
C. Fire Wardens shall be paid at a rate of $20.15 per hour, which rate
may be, from time to time, amended in accordance with the Borough
budget.
A. A "fire watch" is defined as a Borough-ordered temporary measure
intended to ensure continuous and systematic surveillance of and response
to the Borough or a portion thereof, or a building or portion thereof,
by one or more qualified individuals, for the purpose of identifying
and controlling fire and other life/property hazards, detecting early
signs of an unwanted fire, raising an alarm of fire to the occupants,
notifying the Fire Department and engaging in firefighting or other
emergency response.
B. A fire watch may be ordered by the Fire Official with the preapproval
of the Borough Administrator or the Administrator's designee, except
that in an emergency the Fire Official, or in the Official's absence,
the ranking Fire Department officer present, may act on his or her
own. A fire watch may be posted in any portion of the Borough and
also in public and privately owned buildings and/or properties. As
the Borough may direct, a fire watch shall be paid for by the Borough,
or by a building owner, tenant, lessee, or organization under the
following circumstances: required fire protection systems are out
of service; a fire watch is directed by the Borough or is requested
by the building owner, tenant, or lessee; public and private events
where 100 people or more are in attendance; events where the posted
occupancy load is exceeded with the approval of the Fire Official
or the Official's assigned designee; all other situations deemed necessary
by the Fire Official or the Official's assigned designee.
C. A fire watch may include: firefighting, rescue, recovery and other
emergency responses; maintaining posted fire lanes, means of egress,
and posted occupancy loads; enforcement of no smoking in posted areas;
area and building surveillance; checking for proper permits; inspecting
for proper safety precautions of cooking equipment; and such other
functions as required by the Fire Official or the Official's assigned
designee.
D. Fire watches may be performed by employees of the Borough of Fort
Lee Fire Prevention Bureau, active regular members and auxiliary members
of the Fire Department. Other qualified individuals may be utilized
at the discretion of the Fire Official or the Official's assigned
designee with prior approval of the Borough Administrator. Any qualified
individuals used for the purposes of a fire watch shall report directly
to the Fire Official or the Official's assigned designee, who will,
in turn, report to and be subject to the direction of the Borough
Administrator. Persons appointed to a fire watch shall be subject
to all Borough ordinances, rules and regulations.
E. Payment for fire watch services.
(1) Payment for fire watch services provided to the Borough. All fire
watch services incurred by the Borough of Fort Lee directly shall
be paid at the Fire Warden duty rate of $20.15 per hour, which rate
may be, from time to time, amended in accordance with the Borough
budget. Borough-incurred payments shall be made to individual firefighters
directly by the Borough.
(2) Payment for fire watch services provided to private persons or properties.
All fire watch services ordered for the benefit and protection of
private property shall be paid at the rate of $50 per hour per person,
and there shall be a minimum payment of four hours per person plus
an administration fee of 15% applied for the person and the vehicle
used. Additionally, there will be a fee of $10 per hour for the use
of a regular Borough motor vehicle and a fee of $25 per hour for the
use of each Borough fire apparatus. All payments for this service
to private persons/property shall be made within 10 days after service
is provided. All such payments shall be made payable to the Borough
of Fort Lee. The Borough shall pay the firefighters directly.
[Amended 2-16-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-2]
[Added 12-17-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-12; amended 6-17-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-12]
A. At the sole discretion of the Borough Administrator, any Borough
employee who is a regular member or auxiliary member of the Fort Lee
Volunteer Fire Department and who is employed by the Borough as a
full-time or part-time employee may request, through the Fire Chief,
for a grant of paid release work time to complete required firefighter
training course pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:73-4.2.
B. The Borough Administrator shall exercise his or her discretion based
upon his or her determination that the grant of paid release work
time is consistent with the maintenance, efficiency, and continuity
of official governmental operations. The Borough Administrator shall
have the sole discretion to grant, deny, or reschedule the request
for release work time with pay to complete Firefighter One, Firefighter
Two, and any of the courses required to be a line officer or chief
officer within the Fort Lee Fire Department. To ensure office coverage,
approvals shall be limited to no more than four individuals per Borough
Department per class.
C. Additionally, semi-independent agencies of the Borough of Fort Lee
may adopt this provision or may participate in this paid work release
time program insofar as their respective Board of Directors may allow.
However, the actual grant of paid release work time to obtain training
as Firefighter One, Firefighter Two, and any of the courses required
to be a line officer or chief officer within the Fort Lee Fire Department
shall also require the consent of the Fort Lee Borough Administrator.
D. In the event that any section, paragraph, subsection, clause or provision
of this section shall be adjudged by the courts to be invalid, such
adjudication shall apply only to the section paragraph, subsection,
clause or provision so adjudicated, and the remainder of the section
shall be deemed valid and effective.